Ships – Mooring device – Line type
Patent
1998-12-07
2000-08-29
Avila, Stephen
Ships
Mooring device
Line type
11423026, 441 5, B63B 2100
Patent
active
061091979
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a system for loading or unloading ships at sea, in particular for operations in connection with oil and gas activity, whereby the ships concerned are equipped with mooring means at their bow part, and where there is included anchor means located at the seabed, as well as at least one achoring line adapted to connect the anchor means to the mooring means on the ship.
In offshore oil and gas activity there is often the question of very important operations that can be difficult under certain conditions, and whereby there is usually involved transfer of fluids either between a pipeline connected to the anchor means at the seabed and a moored ship. Under varying and difficult conditions, whereby wind, waves and ocean current have influence, great stresses and forces can occur during such mooring and carrying out of these operations. Such stresses in the first place can lead to interruption of the operations and in the worst case can lead to wrecking and e.g. uncontrolled oil discharge. The invention is primarily directed to loading operations, but quite correspondingly may also be utilized for unloading operations, as will be realized straightforwardly by people skilled in the art.
On the background of mooring, loading and unloading systems being known for corresponding purposes, this invention involves novel and specific features as stated more closely in the claims.
Among the advantages obtained by means of the invention, it is emphasized in particular that the challenging operations mentioned, can be carried out under difficult conditions with higher security and reliability in most situations, compared to previously known methods and systems. In this connection it is to be noted in particular that the system according to the invention makes possible a type of elasticity or flexibility in the mooring and the fluid transfer, that involves adaptation of the whole system according to the stresses and forces occurring during the operations to be performed.
In the following description the invention will be explained more closely with reference to the drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 schematically shows a first embodiment of the system according to the invention,
FIG. 2 more in detail and elevation shows an anchor with associated swivel means, which can be included in a system according to the invention,
FIG. 3 shows the same as FIG. 2 in front elevation,
FIG. 4 shows a variant of the embodiment of FIG. 1,
FIG. 5 shows an arrangement mainly based upon the embodiment of FIG. 1, but with two ships in cooperation,
FIG. 6 shows a second embodiment of the anchor means with associated swivel means in elevation and quite simplified,
FIG. 7 in elevation shows a third and preferred embodiment of the anchor means according to the invention,
FIG. 8 shows the embodiment in FIG. 7 seen from above, and
FIG. 9 shows a situation where the anchor means in FIG. 7 is divided into two parts for retrieval of vital parts thereof to the surface.
In the drawings the seabed is indicated at 1 and the sea surface at 2. In FIGS. 1, 4 and 5 substantially corresponding or similar parts of the whole system according to the invention and the total arrangement involved in a mooring situation with associated operations. There is here in the first place the question of a ship 10, usually a tanker (40 in FIG. 5), an anchor 3 at the seabed 1 and an anchoring line with two parts 6 and 8 being at a middle portion provided with a buoyant body 7, also denoted line buoy. In the usual manner the ship 10 is equipped with mooring means 11 at the bow, without any details being shown more closely at this point.
The system according to the invention as described so far, is sufficient for the desired mooring of the ship 10, and in this connection involves advantages as already mentioned in the introduction above. An important feature of the mooring system is the line buoy 7, which is preferably located at or connected to a middle portion of the total anchoring line 6, 8. It is obvious that buoy 7 does not need to be exactly at the middle of
REFERENCES:
patent: 3430597 (1969-03-01), Zunderdorp
patent: 3455270 (1969-07-01), Mascenik et al.
patent: 3670686 (1972-06-01), Reynolds
patent: 4081872 (1978-04-01), Pedersen et al.
patent: 4820217 (1989-04-01), Joubert et al.
Breivik K.ang.re
Smedal Arne
Syvertsen K.ang.re
Avila Stephen
Den Norske Stats Oljeselskap A.S.
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